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Folha de S. Paulo published this week an extensive report on the expansion of soy in the heart of the Amazon, with a special focus in Acre. The newspaper points out that the state, which until 2017 did not record any area of cultivation of the grain, today houses plantations equivalent to three times the size of Manhattan, according to data from the National Supply Company (Conab).
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Soybean Harvest on a farm in Senador Guiomard, Acre/Photo: Dado Galdieri/Photography: Dado Galdieri/Bloo
The advance occurs in a region that was until recently seen as far from the main routes of Brazilian agribusiness. Areas previously preserved or intended for livestock have been converted to the cultivation of oilseed, driven by billionaire investments in logistics infrastructure and the growing appetite of China, the largest buyer of Brazilian soy.
The report points out that the arrival of soy to Acre represents a historical change in the occupation of Amazonian territory. “The changes have been profound. In Acre, the western state of the Amazon, there were no records of soybean crops by 2017. This year, farmers cultivated an area three times the size of Manhattan,” said the text.
In addition to Acre, neighboring states such as Amazonas and Rondônia also record rapid growth of production. Together, they make up the region known as Amacro, pointed out as the new agricultural frontier of the country. Since 2019 alone, the area lost almost 1.4 million hectares of forest to deforestation.
Folha also recalls that this advance occurs amid a national and international debate on the balance between agricultural expansion and environmental preservation. Brazil, which is preparing to host COP-30 in Belém in 2026, faces the pressure of maintaining its leadership as an agricultural power while fulfilling deforestation reduction goals.
